How I make it work: Farah Ramzan Golant

The 46-year-old is the executive chairman of the advertising agency AMV BBDO and is also on the board of the National Theatre

Farah says success is more about knowing yourself than about luck (Linda Nylind) What’s your approach at work?
It’s loose/tight — loose enough for the team to feel they are defining the
agenda, but tight in a crisis or a moment of extreme opportunity. In
stressful situations, I’m fiercely focused. You need to create the right
team quickly, with the right set of skills and focus, and as a leader emit a
calm, upbeat vibe, both reflective and energetic — not simply mindless
enthusiasm. Also I’m good-humoured — people respond to that.

How has your background shaped you?
I was born in Kenya to Indian parents. We moved to Britain when I was five,
so our household was boundary-less and multinational. I think it made me
open and able to connect with diverse sets of people. My husband is American
and of Jewish descent, so we have a kind of tapestry that has preceded us.